Semana (Week) 51: HE GOT BAPTIZED!!

The best thing happened this week! Pablo got baptized!! It was a little chaotic getting everything ready, but in the end, everything was good.  His biological parents told us that they were going to make it to the baptism.  So we tried waiting for them, but when it came time for the baptism, we couldn't wait any longer.  About 15 minutes after, they showed up! They told us that they got caught in the rain.  But they still came! They also have so many desires to be baptized and soon they will be able to in October.  They told us that there two other sons that are having lots of problems told them that if they get baptized, they will start going to church.  Maybe there are all going to get baptized in different times, but its amazing to see this chain reaction that is happening all because of a little 10 year old boy.

Something that my loving companion did to me this week.  We were in our personal study one morning, and a huge cockroach ran out of my scriptures and went under the table.  I left the room for a little time, and came back.  My comp told me that she killed the cockroach.  So I sat down in my chair again, with a breath of relief and started reading my scriptures again.  About 5 seconds later, she started to laugh, and that worried me a lot...I knew that she did something.  I stood up and looked at my chair and found the dead cockroach....I had been sitting on.  She thought that would be funny.  She is just so loving right?

This week I was meditating the scripture in Hebrews 5:8, "y aunque era Hijo, por lo que padeciò, aprendiò la obediencia."  I never really thought of it this way, that Christ learned how to be perfectly obedient, because he had so many trials and opportunities for him to learn to be obedient. For us to learn obedience, it means that there is a choice involved, opposition. If everything was just perfect all the time, without us having the opportunity to choose between right and wrong, we would never learn how to choose what is right. If I know that alcohol is something that we should never drink, but I have never seen it in my life and never around it, then it would be super easy to *choose* to not drink. But the real obedience that we show is when we have all of the bad influences around us all the time, and we choose to be obedient. Even when the temptation is so prevalent and so desirable, we choose to love God more. And from all of the things that Christ had to suffer, which was everything, he learned to be perfectly obedient.

I hope that everyone is getting ready for General Conference this week! Prepared spiritually with questions that you need answered, Ive already got mine! :) 

Love you all!

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week) 50: ....Super Crazy Week....but AWESOME!

Zone Meeting in Uruapan!

So, we only worked like 3 days this whole last week, which was a bit of a bummer.  We had divisions with the Sisters that are under our direction 2 times.  First, we had to travel in the afternoon on Monday to head to the Uruapan Stake, then Tuesday, we had a Zone Meeting there.  Then we did divisions with the sisters until the next day and we didn't get back until really late on Wednesday. Thankfully Thursday, we could work, but then Friday, we had our Multi Zone Conference with the Chapala Stake and President Egginton.  After, we headed to Nueva Luneta with other sisters, and did divisions until Saturday afternoon.  Then Sunday, we had to come up with and practice really fast a Special Musical Number for Sacrament meeting with the missionaries.  Be ready to see us in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir next!

Multi Zone Conference

We have an investigator that is named Pablo (Fake Name). He is only 10 years old, and right now he is living with a family that is in the ward.  He has been living there for about 6 months.  He comes from a very very hard background.  In only his 10 years, he has been addicted to drugs and alcohol and we really don't know for how long.  He started to live with this family, and they started to help him, bring him to church and everything.  They are now planning to adopt him.  We have been teaching him for about 3 weeks.  He really is such a great kid and very smart, even though he doesn't know how to read yet.  What worried us is that he can't be baptized right now without his biological parents permission, because he isn't adopted.  Luckily, we found that his parents lived very close to this family, they know each other, and have a good relation. We first met his mom, and she accepted our lessons.  She has been so receptive, and went to church with the family and Pablo!!  And she accepted to be baptized!!! Then, just this week, we met his dad.  At first he really wasn't interested to listen, and told us that he just believes in God, not religions.  But we started to teach, and at the end of the lesson, he told us that he wants to go to church! He also was talking with someone in the street one day, and he asked randomly, "What religion are you!"  The man answered Mormon!! Then the Dad said...."Really? Me too! I want to go to your church."  We ended our lesson yesterday, and they both told us that they want to be baptized!!!!  How wonderful are these miracles that happen!  Pablo is going to be baptized this Saturday, and his real parents along with the adoptive parents are going to come. I left this lesson wanting to cry, feeling maybe how the prophets felt in the book of Mormon when they talked about their joy to see people choose the right. Wow, I just feel so happy! :)

Love you all!!!!!

Hermana Boice

Divisions with Hermanas from Nueva Luneta (I am now a fan of eating limes...just limes).

Semana (Week) 49: Long Short-Cuts, the Sun is HOT, and other Interesting Things...

Hola  Hola!

Today we are going to Uruapan, to go to a Zone Meeting. It's not our stake, but we are the leaders of the sisters that are there.  Tomorrow we have a talk and after we are going to do divisions with them... My first divisions!! Scary as a leader!  But ya, things are going to be super hectic this week, and we aren't going to return until Wednesday in the afternoon.  Then, Friday we have our Multi Zone meeting with President and then we are going to leave for Zacapu to do other divisions with sisters.  We return in Saturday in afternoon.  We are only going to be working like 2 full days in our area! 

Our Leader Counsel in Guadalajara! Got to see lots of my friends!

Funny story time.  We were walking on the sidewalk in the shade, and my comp started to cross the street in the sun.  I felt so hot and burned from the sun that I really didnt want to leave the shade.  I turned and started hugging the side of a house I was facing, saying I didn't want to leave the shade.  Then my comp said, "Hermana! Don't touch the house! there is a sign that says don't touch the house!"  I thought she was joking so I just stayed where I was huggin' the house, which cooled me down a bit. "Seriously Hermana! There is a sign!"  Little did I know that there was actually a sign until she started reading it.  "Don't Touch, Scratch or Stain. There are surveillance cameras and you will be reprimanded for it"... that was when we ran.  Sure hope they didn't get a good look at us, although my hair is not to hard to find in Mexico.

Yesterday, was a bit of a long day.  First, it was Stake Conference and the member of the 70 that was invited brought a knife and showed all of us this knife at the pulpit to make a point that what he was going to say may hurt a bit.  After that it was a little rough. We got to work, and we didn't have a single lesson alllll day. The whole day we walked and walked and walked like the pioneers (I got to experience maybe a tiny bit of what they felt).  At one point, we had to travel about a mile to the next place, but we decided to take a "Short Cut" which ended up being the Longest Cut we could have taken.  We live and we learn.  We got back to the house by the end of the day, and I surprisingly felt good, even though we didn't have much success. Who are we to tell God how the day should be and what should happen, and he gives us these little tests to see how humble and grateful we really are. I am grateful to have these little tests to make me better :)

Love you all!!!

Hermana Boice

Some youth made this!!!! Isn't it awesome??

Semana (Week) 48: Coffee and Half a Body...

Lots and lots of things have happened in this week.  More than anything, I have learned how much of a goofball my companion can be.  I just love her! I think I have almost died from laughing about 3 or 4 times in just this week.  So, don't be surprised if I kick the bucket in the next three weeks.  

This week I transgressed.  It was a transgression because I really didn't know that I was sinning.  We were walking passed some houses and we saw a sign that said popsicle, chocolate covered bananas, etc.  We only just need to look at each other in the eye, and we start walking to knock on the door, money in hand.  (I am prob going to gain weight here, because just in our first day together, we bought pizza, ice-cream, bread, popsicle, and at night we bought some crepes......I was really hungry that day.)  But anyway, we asked for chocolate popsicle, the lady handed them to us, and I started eating.  You know that sometimes chocolate tastes like coffee, but it doesn't have coffee? Well, that's what happened.  I just kept eating, because it was delicious.  My comp just starred at me trying not to laugh, until she said "Hermana, you know that your eating coffee right?"  With the face that I had, you probably would have thought that I just killed someone.  How am I going to teach the Popsicle lady the Word of Wisdom now?

Other funny story.  We were taking a short cut  that is a pathway with lots of tall grass around us.  We were walking until my comp started freaking out, looking at something in the grass.  She was talking so fast and slurred that I didnt understand anything more than "half of a body".  I looked in the grass and only saw pants.  It seriously looked like a dead body!  We both started to laugh and freak out at the same time.  I didn't really know if my comp was laughing or crying.  But long story short, it was just a pair of pants that were laying in the grass.  We started to make a game after looking for the other parts of the "body" and we found a boot 5 seconds later... haha.

Fun Fact!!  Zamora is known for berries, mainly strawberries! They have so many that they hand out pounds for free. I am in Strawberry Heaven!! :-) But I have to wait until October. 

Well, thats all for now! Love you all!!

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week) 47: Cambios (transfers)! 11 Meses (months)!

This was the last week that I had in this are but best week that I have had in all of my mission! We worked our tails off every day trying to complete the goals and always work with the Spirit.  I prayed a lot that this week we could see the fruits of our labors.  Quickly came Sunday when we added up all of the numbers, and sat in amazement at what we saw.  We couldn't work one day of the week, tried to do divisions but they fell through. When we saw the numbers, it was a miracle!  We had members present in our lessons more than we have ever had, the most investigators in sacrament meeting, and more lessons in the week that I have had in all of my mission!  When we give our all, the Lord really gives us the miracles. But it really is ALL our ALL.

Right, soooo we had Transfers and we both received our transfers when President Egginton calling us. (And if he calls, then your going to be getting a real good assignment... haha) First, Hermana C. ended her training and now is going to train a new missionary in Acambaro.  And I....am a Sister Training Leader in Zamora now.  Well, I knew that I was going to be a STL, but I had no idea that I was going to go to Zamora.  Now I am a little bit closer to Guadalajara. My new comp is Hermana C.  She was my STL when I got here in the mission with Hermana R.  She is going to be ending her mission this transfer, so I am going to be *killing* her, like I did with Hermana R.  I was so so sad to leave Acambaro!!  I have never felt such a great love for people like this ward.  They gave me time to speak in Sacrament Meeting, and I had to strive really hard not to burst into tears.  One family that we were teaching on my last day was saying goodbye to me.  The son of the mom that is about 21 years old started to give me a hug and I just about shoved him.  Its not personal, but an automatic reaction. I have no idea how its going to be when I return home...haha.

Don't really have too much info right now, because I don't even have 24 hours in my area.  Ohhh! I am soo soo sooo happy about one thing! Hermana C. told me that we don't have any cockroaches in our house!!!!!! Sing praises!!! We were so overrun with them in the old house, that I think that I would have started to have a real phobia.  But its all good, we evetated the phobia!

I'll send pics next week.  I should have a bunch by then! Whoo hoo! I complete 11 months tomorrow!

Love,

Hermana Boice

Semana (Week) 46: Let the Holy Spirit Guide.....

This week we were working really hard.  All work and no play....haha. We have received new goals from the Stake that we need to complete, like 50 lessons every week, 40 of these with a member present in the lesson.  Seriously, when we try to work as hard as we can, there is always so much opposition! For 4 weeks we needed to leave our area to Guadalajara or Morelia for 2 days, every week.  And now the members are not working a whole lot with us to accompany us.  There is always work, school, or busy.  But I have really progressed a lot in my dedication, obedience, and love to do this work.  And although it can be difficult at times, I really feel so content when we are ready to go to sleep, knowing that we worked how the Lord wants us to work.

I have felt the spirit guiding us so much in all of these lessons that we have.  Lupita is one of our investigators that is golden!  Buuuut, she cant come to church because she works on Sundays.  We had an amazing lesson with her to help her see that if she really wants to do what the Lord wants of her, she needs to show her faith and look for another job.  She wanted to stay because in December she receives extra money.  But by the Spirit, we asked her ^Do you really need this money^? and she said NO! She said that she needs God more than she needs money!  I love what the Spirit can do to people!

Well! Transfers are next week.  I am feeling two things...I feel like I am either going to stay here in Acambaro, or I am going to go to a ward in the same stake that is called Tarimbaro.  Really who knows? I could go to the other side of the mission, but I have a feeling about these two.  I will let you all know next week when I find out!!

Les Amo Mucho!!!

Hermana Boice

PS. If I am going to go to another area, I will be really said to leave the bread from Acambaro. I love it so much!!!!

Semana (Week) 45: Daily Miracles!!

The best zone in the world!

Wow, lots and lots of things have happened this week! We had to go to Guadalajara on Wednesday, because I had to sign for my visa.....which means I almost have a year in the misson .  We got a little lost heading to the office and we started to hed back to our area a little late.  So we had to stay in Morelia, which was a good thing, because little did we know that I was invited to a Conference for District Leaders and Future Sister Training Leaders in the morning in Morelia, plus we had another meeting with the AP´s after.  Remember when I was in divisions about a month ago?  While I worked in this area, I felt like I was going to be going there the next transfer.  Well, its an area for only Sister Training Leaders and I just got invited to a meeting for the Future STL´s.......hmmmmm, interesting.....

This week I was studing Alma 13:3. 

"Y ésta es la manera conforme a la cual fueron ordenados, habiendo sido llamados y preparados desde la fundacion del mundo de acuerdo con la presciencia de Dios, por causa de su fe excepcional y buenas obras, habiéndoseles concedido primeramente escoger el bien o el mal, por lo que habiendo escogido el bien y ejecido una fe sumamente grande, son llamados con un santo llamaminto si con ese sandto llamamiento que con una redencion preparatoria y de conformidad con ella, se dispuso para tales seres. "

It's talking about the plan of salvation, but I have been also able to apply it to me as a missionary.  I know that my decision to serve a mission wasn't just a random decision that I made here.  I know that since before the world was, we chose our lives and what we would do, what we would endure.  I know that I had made the decision to serve a mission beforehand and I was prepared to serve one, with things that I have experienced thus far in my life.

I have begun to see some really awesome changes in my mission.  I feel like I am starting to see little miracles every day.  Like in lessons when the spirit prompts me or my companion to say or ask something, and the other receives the same revelation.  I feel the spirit so much stronger in the lessons and I really do feel guided by the spirit in what to say and do.  I have felt my testimony grow so much more through the lessons we teach and feel greater charity for all of the people.  I have also seen so many changes in myself.  I feel so much more motivated to work as hard as we can.  I feel the desire to be strictly obedient in all things.  I really love what the mission is doing to me! :)

I am so so so happy, because I am starting to see the fruit of my labors.  In the past 3 weeks, there have been 3 baptisms in Tlaquepaque, my old area, and all of them were people that I found with my companions, like Keyla!! She just got baptized this last week.  I really can't describe the joy that I feel for them.  To me, it doesn't even matter that they are not ¨my converts¨, but I am so grateful the other missionary´s were about to help them take this step. SO HAPPY!!!!

I don't even have any more words to say, because I'm so happy! :D

Love you all!
Hermana Boice

A little craft that I have been working on for a while for my District. 
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